Woman Hits Back at Critics Over 'Dramatic' Cat Screaming During Car Trip

While the internet is full of videos of dogs sticking their heads out of car windows, or relaxing on the back seat, cats aren't known for their love of travelling.

One video of a cat not enjoying their time in the back of a car was posted on June 18 by Angie Karas, a professional horse trainer and instructor from Ontario, Canada. She is "the proud owner of Kiwi the four year old Bengal cat." In the video, which has received 13.1 million views, Kiwi can be seen sitting in the back of the car on a large cushion, screaming loudly. Karas is heard saying, "Are you OK, kitty? We're going to be there soon. You're going to make it."

"Bengals are known to be chatty, but Kiwi has never stopped talking since she arrived," Karas told Newsweek. "We have back and forth conversations daily. We took Kiwi in the car to my parents' farm since my husband and I were planning a few days away since my parents are home to care for her. They only live a few miles down the road."

Despite Kiwi's reaction in the video, Karas said "she settled down quickly after this. By the time I arrived at my parents', Kiwi was purring, enjoying chin scratches and looking out of the windows at the view. When I picked her up to take her into the house, she was already looking for food and the drive was already forgotten."

Some users in the comments criticized Karas for not using a carrier, or not sedating Kiwi for the journey. "Poor thing is mortified it should be in a travelling capsule with a towel or blanket covering over the front so it can't look out this breaks my heart," posted one user, "She needs to be in a carrier and restraints. She'll turn into a pancake if you have to hit the [brakes] or get in a car accident," wrote another.

"To be clear, I'm not against using a carrier as we own one and have used one in the past," said Karas. "We tried her with it, and she was panicked and stressed, and I knew I couldn't stand to see her like that. As for people suggesting that she should be sedated, for such a short ride it wasn't worth the damage it can do to her liver and kidneys, as well as them not being able to eat or drink safely until it wears off."

The video has been liked over 2.2 million times so far. "I'm so grateful for the likes and views and glad people got to meet Kiwi's personality," said Karas, "and to those who were concerned, not to worry, she is doing great. Her drive back home will be a lot less entertaining."

Despite some criticism, most users shared their own similar stories of traveling with their cats.

"My cat does this for about 30 minutes before accepting her fate and falling asleep in my lap or on the backseat," wrote one user. "Moved from Texas to Oregon by car. My cat made this noise the ENTIRE 30 hour drive," posted another.

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